Rotary drill



Feb. 23, 1932. v. J. KUBIN ET AL 1,346,212

' ROTARY DRILL Filed pt. 17. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 23, 1932.

v. J. KUBINQ ET AL 1,846,212

ROTARY DRILL Filed Sept. 17, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [794 fig;

7776/7 Affo/wey Patented Feb. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VAN J. KUBIN, OF TOBRANCE, AND PERRY FUNDERBURK,.OF HUNTINGTON BEACH,

CALIFORNIA V i ROTARY Darn.

Application filed September 17, 1927. Serial No. 220,158.

This invention relates to a rotary drill and has articular reference to a drill for use in drilling deep wells, for instance, oil wells, with a rotary method. It is a general object of this invention to provide an effective improved tool of this general character.

It is a primarv object of our invention to provide a rotary drilling bit of the disk type which will operate to drill rapidly and efficiently.

It is another primary object of our invention to provide a drill of the character mentioned in which the drill parts proper are subject to little wear and which operates with a minimum amount of wear and strain upon the entire drilling apparatus.

Another and important feature of our present invention is the provision of a bit of the character mentioned in which. the cutters are effectively and securely mounted in a manner to project a maximum amount from their carrying or supporting parts.

It is another object of our invention to provide an improved form of mounting bushing for a cutter of a well drilling bit.

It is a further object of our present invention to provide an improved manner of mounting a cutter carrying bushing in the body of a well drilling bit.

The various objects and features of our present invention will be best and more fully understood from the following detailed de? scription of a typical preferred form and application of the invention throughout which description reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig.1 is a perspective view of the bit provided by our present invention viewed from one side;

Fig. 2 is a view of the lower end of the bit;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken through one of the cutters and its supporting arms;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the bushing sections provided by our invention viewing the section from its outer or flange end;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a bushing section viewed from its inner end; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken at the lower end portion of the shank of the bit showing the water course bushing.

The bit provided by this invention includes,

generally, a main body or shank 10, a tapered screw threaded pin 11 at the upper'end of the shank for connection with a string of drill pipe, or the like, a plurality of arms 12and 13 projecting from the lower end portion of the shank, bushings15 mounted between the arms 12 and 13, pins 16 which operate to hold the bushings in the arms, and disk cutters 17 rotatably carried by the bushings.

The shank 10 is an elongated member preferably round in cross sectional configuration. In the preferred construction the shank has an enlarged portion 18 at its upper end presentinga downwardly facing shoulder 19 to be engaged by a fishtool or suitable device in theeventt ha't the bit becomes lost in the well. The tapered screw threaded pin 11 projects upwardly from the enlarged part '18 V of the shank and is preferably formed integral with the shank. The shank has alongitudinal circulation opening 60 extending throughout its length. The opening 60 discharges downwardly at the center of the lower end of the shank to impinge upon the inner portions of the cutters and thus aid rotation of the cutters. We provide a re placeable nozzle bushing 61 at the lower end of the opening 60, as shown in Fig.7 of the drawings.

Thearms provided at thelower end of the shank 10 extend downwardly and radially from the lower end portion of the shank and are preferably formed integral with the shank. In practice, iwehave enlarged the lower end of the shank and machined it to form the desired arms 12 and 13. The arms Pa is tobe understood,of A

pair are in spaced parallel relation and extend downwardly and radially from the lower end portion of the shank 10. The arms 12 and 13 are pitched or angularly disposed with reference to longitudinal axis of the tool, it having been found that satisfactory results are obtained by pitching the arms at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with reference to the vertical axis of the tool. The arm 13,iwhich is the lowermost arm, has its lower end portion dressed or bevelled off at 20 to provide ample clearance behind the cut ter as will appear from Fig. 3 of the drawings. Further, the outer or edge .portion21 of the uppermost arm 12 is preferably finished so that it is substantially vertical to give clearance above the cutter for cuttings and the passage of circulating fluid. .7

Abushing 15 is mounted between each pair of arms 12. and 13 tocarry a cutter 17 so that its cutting oractive portion projects down-. wardly and radially from the armsin the manner shown throughout the drawings. Eachibushing 15 has an outer cylindrical bearingpart'22 to rotatably carry -a cutter and. is provided ateach end with a radially projecting. flange 23. to engage or overhang the front and rear faces of the cutter. The bushing is made, to fit closely between the parallel inner faces 25 and 26 ofthe arms 12.and.13-, respectively, in this manner clear-' ly-indi cated in Fig. 3 of the drawings.- The cutter-17 is rotatably carried on the bearing surface 22 of the bushing and fits the end flanges 23' with sufficient .working clearance to-allow it to turn freely. With this arrangement the flanges 23 operate to space thecutter from the inner faces 25 and 26 of the arms. In the preferred form of. the invention, the bushing 15-is carried between the outer end portions of-the arms 12 and 13 so that it sup ports the cutter-in position to project a maximum amountsbeyond the outer portions of the arms. In accordance with our invention, the bushing- .15 is "stationar Y or held against movement relative to the arms causing all wear-due to rotation of the gutters to occur between the cutters and bushings. In the preferred form of bushing mounting provided by ourinvention, thebushingis provided at either orboth. of its ends with ribs or key projections-28 which fit or extend into correspondingrecesses'or slots provided in the faces 25-and 26 of. the arms and the bushing is .retained in position between the arms by a pin 16 extending through :and between the arms and throughv an opening '30 extending through the bushing. The axis of the opening 30 is preferablyofi'set or madeeccentric to the axis of the bearingisurface 22 of the bushing so that the pin 16 can be located as far as possible-inward of the-outer ends of the arms. 'The-relationing of the bearing surface 22 and pin opening30 is clearly illustrated 1n F1gs.- 3, 4and 50f the drawings, It will be apparent that with this arrangement and formation of parts the pin is effective and reliable is retaining the bushing 15 in place between the arms and is at the same time well removed from the extreme outer ends of the arms 12: and 13, being inward of the pivotal axis of the cutter 17 so that it is firm and secure in the arms. In the particular constructionv illustrated in the drawings, the pin 16 extends through an opening 31 in the uppermost arm 12 and has its end portion 32 screw threaded into a thread-ed opening 33 provided in the arm 13. A head 34 is provided on the upper end of the pin to seat against the upper or outer side of the arm 12, as clearly shown in the Fig. 3. 'Withthe construction provided by our invention, there is no tendency for the pin to rotate and thus'become disengaged from the threaded opening 33 inthe arm13. However, if desired, lock- 1 ing means may be provided in connectionwith the pin to make it secure. For instance, we have shown a set screw 35 carried by the arm 12 to engage and lock thepin 16. r In the preferred construction of the bushing 15 the keyprojections 28 on the ends of thebushingare arranged to intersect the pin opening 30 and the grooves provided in the inner faces of the arms for the reception of the key projections28 extend horizontally or in a radial direction, as shown throughout the drawings. Further, the bushing15is divided or formed in two sections to facilitate its application to the cutter 17. In prac tice, it is preferred that-the bushingbe di-.

Each cutter 17 "s an annular. disk lik e member having a central opening 40 to receive a bushing15. .The edge or periphery portion 41 of the cutter, is dressed or bevelled off at .a suitable angle, preferably at an angle of about 45] degrees, to form a cutting edge 42 with the side 43 of-the cutter. The. cutteris mounted so that its side 43 faces downwardly or is lowermost, thus bringingthe edge 42 in position to efiectively cut the formation at the bottom of the hole being drilled. With the arms 12 and 13 disposed at angle of substantially45 degrees, the cutter when in operation has its under side 43 pitched upwardly and rearwardlyat anangle of substantially 45 degrees while the leading or foremost part of the periphery 41 is substantially vertical.

Having described' i'n detail one pair of parts subject to any substantial amount of wear are the cutters and bushings which parts can be easily and quickly replaced. Further particular attention is called to the arrangement of the pin for securing the cutter carrying bushing whereby the cutter is carried to project a maximum amount from the arms while the pin is well removed from the extreme end portions of the arms. This feature of the invention. is very iin iortant as it provides an effective, sturdy and strong construction.

Having desc *ibed only a typical preferred form of our invention we do not wish to limit ourselves to the specific details set forth, but wish to reserve to ourselves any changes or ariations that may appear to those skilled in the art or fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A well drilling bit including a shank having a central longitudinal fluid circulation opening discharging downwardly at the center of the lower end of the shank, a plurality of synnnetrically arranged pairs of spaced arms projecting downwardly and radially from the lower end portion of the shank and inclined at an angle of substanti ally forty-five degrees relative to the vertical axis of the bit, a sectional bushing arranged between each pair of arms, each bushing having an exterior bearing surface and an opening the axis of which is offset from the axis of the bearing surface in a direction inward of the outer ends of the arms, a pin in connection with each pair of arms, extending through the opening in the bushing and screw threaded into the lowermost arm, a key projection on each bushing section fitting a complementary transverse recess in an arm whereby the bushing sections are held against turning, and a disk cutter rotatablv mounted on each bushin each cutter havin its leriphery bevelled so that its leading part is substantially vertical.

2. A well. drilling bit for use with the rotary method including, a shank having a fluid circulation opening extending longitudinally through it and discharging downwardly at the center of the lower end of the shank, a plurality of integral arms extending downwardly and radially from the lower portion of the shank and arranged in pairs, a sectional bushing between the arms of each pair, a cylindrical bearing part on each section of the bushings, a pin carried by each pair of arms and extending through the bushing eccentric to the said bearing parts, means preventing rotation of the bushings, and cutters rotatably supported on the said bearing parts, each cutter having a single leading edge engaging the bottom of the hole being drilled, said edge being formed between a surface of the cutter extending upwardly and rearwardly at an angle oi substantially fortyfive degrees and a surface that is substantially vertical.

8. A well drilling bit including, a shank, a pair oi spaced arms projecting from the shank, a sectional bushing comprising two sections arranged between the arms, each section having an outer cylindrical bearing part, an integral radial flange at the outer end of each section, and a key projection extending completely across the outer end of each flange, a pin carried by the arms and extending through the sections and otlset from the axis oi? said bearing parts, and a disc cutter rotatably carried on the said bearing parts between the flanges having a periphery of such shape that the portion thereof atthe lowermost end ofthe cutter is bounded by, a substantially vertical plane, there being transverse recesses in the arms to receive the key projections.

In witness that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto subscribed our names this 30th day of August, 1927.

VAN J. KUBIN. PERRY FUNDERBURK. 

